Front Zipped Pencil Case Tutorial

I wrote this tutorial for a front zipped pencil case for Jennifer's Back to School Sewing series last year. But I thought it might be time for a rerun on my own blog. These little pouches/pencil cases make great presents - especially if they have a few cute little bits of stationery inside them. Plus, in my experience, with 2 kids in primary school, you can never have too many pencil cases, as my kids manage to break them, lose them, or just get bored with them and want something fresh.

Instead of going with a traditional top-zipping pouch design, I decided to make a feature of the zip and placed it on the front of the pencil case instead. This means that there is a slightly different construction method to a normal zip pouch, but its very easy to make, and a good alternative for people who have difficulty getting their zipper ends to turn out nicely rather than all squished up. I hope you enjoy making this - its a great way to use up some precious fussy cut scraps and would work equally well with a low volume print or a solid as the background fabric.

Please read through the full tutorial before starting to make this! Also please note that seam allowances are 1/4" throughout, except where specified.

Materials Required:

1 Fat Quarter of solid/low volume fabric for the background
6 small scraps for fussy cutting (they only need to be big enough to cut to 2" x 2")
1 Fat Quarter of lining fabric
An 8" zip

Approx 10" x 10" of fusible fleece
Approx 10" x 10" of woven fusible interfacing

Cutting Instructions:

From your features scraps, cut 6 squares, 2" x 2" each

From your background fabric cut the following:
6 pieces, 1.5" x 2" each
4 pieces, 1.75" x 2" each
4 pieces, 1.75" x 4" each
1 piece, 1" x 9.5"
2 pieces, 2 x 9.5" each

From your lining fabric cut the following:

1" x 9.5" piece
4" x 9.5" piece
5" x 9.5" piece
2 pieces 1" x 4" for the zipper tabs

From your fusible fleece cut the following:

1 piece 0.5" x 9"
1 piece 3.5" x 9"
1 piece 4.5" x 9"

From your woven interfacing cut the following:

1 piece 0.5" x 9"
1 piece 3.5" x 9"
1 piece 4.5" x 9"

Sewing Instructions:

1. Prepare your lining fabric:

Firstly, start by fusing your interfacing to the wrong side of the corresponding lining fabric pieces following the manufacturer's instructions. (Your interfacing is a half an inch smaller on the width and length than the corresponding piece of lining fabric.) The interfacing should be centred so that it is a quarter inch in from each raw edge of the fabric - as shown in the picture below. This is to reduce bulk in your seams.

Set aside for the moment. Next you need to make the front of your pencil case.

2. Make the Front Panel

We'll start by making the lower panel on the front of the pencil case. Take 3 of your feature scraps and for each of them, sew one of your 2" x 1.5" background pieces to the top edge, and another to the bottom edge. Press the seams.

Next, take 4 of the background pieces measuring 1.75" x 4" and piece them to the sides of the strips you just made as shown in the picture below. Press. Your front panel is made!

Now take your fusible fleece. Following the manufacturer's instructions, and in a similar way to how you did the interfacing, fuse the 3.5" x 9" piece to the back of the panel you just pieced, and the 0.5" x 9" piece to the corresponding strip of background fabric.

I decided to outline the fussy cut squares by hand quilting around them using perle cotton #8. You can skip this bit if you want, or add some machine quilting, but its very simple to do. Simply tie a knot in the end of your perle cotton, push your needle through from the back at your start point, embedding the knot in the fusible fleece,  and sew a running stitch around your squares. I added in some crosses as well just for fun. There is a great tutorial on hand quilting here if you need more help. 

3. Prepare your Zipper

Next you need to prepare your zip. Firstly, trim the excess zip fabric off each end to within a quarter inch of the start and end of the zip. (I forgot to take a picture of this stage with the original zipper, hence the shorter zip in the pic below!) I usually stitch a couple of basting stitches right at the start of the zip to keep it easy to work with.

Take the 1" x 4" strips of lining fabric you cut, and press them in half width-ways. Next, fold under half an inch from each of your raw edges (the short edges) and press a fold. This gives you a neat little tab to give you nice zipper ends.

Now you want to slide your zipper in between the folded edges and pin these in place over the beginning and end of your zip. They should come just far enough up your zip to allow you to sew a seam across them without hitting the metal. When you have both in place, your zip, including tabs, should measure at least 9.5" (longer is ok, you can trim back). If it isn't long enough, you might want to re-do your tabs.

Sew a seam across each tab - make sure to catch both the top and bottom fabric, and not to hit the metal end or start bits, as you will break your needle. It's useful to use your zipper foot for this, it will help you get closer to the metal tab without hitting it. It can be hard to get this seam totally straight, but you won't notice it in the finished pouch and your kids certainly won't!

Your zip should look like this. If you have any excess at the sides of the fabric tabs, trim it off so that your tabs and zip edges are a straight line.

4. Insert your Zipper

You're now ready to insert your zip. This is the fun bit! Firstly, open your zip a little way. This helps you get a straighter line when you sew. Figure out which end you want your zip to start at - make sure your fabric direction is correct. Take your front bottom panel and place it right side UP. Then place the zip on it right side DOWN, with the start of the zip at the correct side, as per the photo below. Line up the raw edges of the zip and the panel at the top.

 Now, keeping your raw edges in line, place the lining fabric right side DOWN over the zip and pouch front. Your right sides should be facing each other, and you should have the 3 raw edges lined up at the top. (Be sure, if your lining fabric is directional, to orient it the right way). Pin carefully in place. You can see I have pinned quite closely on such a small piece of fabric. The gap in the pins is where the zip pull is, as the zip curves a bit there to make room for it - don't worry, we will adjust that as we sew. (You can see I made one of my tabs a bit longer than I should, I'll trim that back in due course. If you have done the same, make sure that your zip is centred correctly and don't worry about any overhang.)

You need to change your presser foot now and use your zipper foot on your sewing machine if you haven't already.  Backstitch at the start of the seam to secure, then, slowly and carefully, sew your seam across, nice and close to your zip (my zipper foot allows me to get about 1/4" away from my zip, which is about perfect. ) You can see where the fabric is raised to the immediate left of my presser foot from the zip - I sew with the side of the presser foot flush with the side of the zip which gives me a nice neat finish.) Don't rush this bit as you want a straight seam.

Sew until you get close to where the zip pull is, removing your pins as you go. Leave your needle down after your next stitch, then lift your presser foot. Carefully reach in and pull the zip pull back to the start, where you have already sewed. Make any adjustments you need to line up your raw edges if they curved out a bit where the zip pull was, and quickly pin to hold. Lower your presser foot and continue sewing slowly and carefully to the end, backstitching to secure.  Press your fabric away from the zip on either side.

Now you want to repeat that process on the other side of the zipper to finish the front of your pencil case. First take the strip of background fabric and place it on the front of the zipper, matching the raw edges. Place the corresponding strip of lining fabric on the back. Pin and sew exactly as you did for the lower portion.

Press your fabric away from the zip. Hey presto, your pouch front is finished!

5. Make the Back Panel


Take 3 of your feature scraps and the 4 background fabric pieces measuring 2" x 1.75" and piece them together as shown in the middle of the photo below. Press your seams. Then take the 2" x 9.5" strips and piece 1 each to the top and bottom of the centre piece.

Fuse the corresponding piece of fusible fleece to the wrong side of the panel you just pieced, and add any quilting detail you wish to match the front.  Your finished back piece should look like this:

 

 And you're now ready to put your pencil case together!!

6. Constructing the Pencil Case

Take the front of the pencil case, making sure you have pressed it properly, and the back lining piece with interfacing attached (measuring 5" x 9.5"). Place them with the lining pieces facing each other, i.e the right side of the front of the pencil case should be facing down, then the back lining piece should be placed directly on top of it, with the right side of the lining fabric facing down and the interfacing facing up. Match and pin your raw edges carefully.

Sew a line 1/8" in from the raw edge all the way around. You could use a basting stitch, as the purpose is to hold this in place for when you attach the back of the pencil case, but as pencil cases tend to get pulled and dragged a bit by kids taking stuff in and out, I use a normal seam here to strengthen it. You can just see the seam in the picture below, and if you look at the zip carefully, you can see the back lining fabric peeking through where it's open.

Next, take the pieced back panel of your pencil case and place it right sides together with the front of the pencil case. Make sure that both pieces are oriented in the right direction.

Pin all the way around again, matching your raw edges.

Start at the bottom of the pencil case, back stitching to secure, and sew a seam all the way around and back to about 2.5" away from your starting point, back stitching again to secure. This leaves you a nice gap for turning. Your seam should be 1/4" in from the raw edges. Cut the points off your corners (make sure not to cut into your stitching!) so you can get a nice sharp corners when you turn it. It should now look something like this:

Reach into your gap and start pulling through the fabric to turn the pencil case right side out. Once you have it all pulled through, use a chopstick or knitting needle to poke out the fabric in your corners to give you a nice sharp point.  All you need to do now is to handsew your turning gap closed.

Push any excess fabric back in and press so that the seam runs straight and there is no bulge in the seam. Then slip stitch it closed with a needle and thread.

Press your pencil case carefully, and ta-dah, you're done!

Sit back and admire your hard work from the front:

And the back:

If you have any questions on this tutorial, please email me at fairyfacedesigns at gmail dot com, or ask them in the comments :-)

{Easy Peasy} Quilted Placemats Tutorial

If you're looking for a quick and easy project to use up some of your pretty scraps and keep them in front of you every day, look no further. After I made this pretty set of placemats for my friend, I decided to write up the tutorial as it's a perfect project for gift-giving, or for your own home.

  

With the print squares just 2.5", they're a great way to make some room in your scrap bin. You could also use a mini-charm pack for them. I made the original set using pink scraps against Kona Champagne. The second set I'm making is for our own house and we each picked a combination of 2 colours, which I then pulled my scraps from. I can see this working for Christmas prints too. This tutorial is suitable for all levels, and is a great project for beginners. The instructions & fabric requirements are for a set of 2 placemats. It's easy to scale up to make 4 or 6 or however many you want. So I hope you enjoy!

Please read through tutorial fully before starting. If you are a complete beginner and need some tips on basic skills such as cutting and sewing accurately, you'll find a Sewing Basics tutorial here.

Set of 2 Contrasting Placemats.

Fabric Requirements:

20 scraps of fabric in your chosen colours (measuring at least 2.5" square).
1 FQ of solid fabric
2 piece of fabric measuring 13 x 15 for backing.
2 pieces of batting measuring 12 x 14
Approx 52" binding fabric per placemat.

Cutting Instructions:

From your scraps of fabric, cut 20 x 2.5" squares. Ensure you have sufficient of the required colours, you need 6 for Placemat 1 and 14  for Placemat 2.

From your solid fabric, cut the following (assumes you are using a FQ cut)

Placemat 1:
Cut 2 x 3.5" strips across the long edge of the fabric. Cross cut each of these into 1 x 4.5" strip and 1 x 12.5" strip.

Placemat 2:
Cut a 6.5" x 4.5" rectangle.
Cut 2 of each of the following strips: 1.5" x 12.5" and 1.5" x 8.5"

Piecing Instructions:

Please note all seams are 1/4". I also used a scant seam for accurate piecing (a scant seam is marginally narrower than a full 1/4" - I usually move my needle over 1 setting to achieve it).

Placemat 1.

Lay out your 6 x 2.5" squares in 2 rows of 3, ensuring you are happy with the fabric placement.

 

Piece each row of 3 together and press seams in opposite directions, so they "lock" nicely when you piece the 2 rows together.

 Sew the 2 rows together and press the seam (you can press it to either side, or open if you prefer):

Take your 3.5" x 4.5" pieces of solid fabric and piece to either side of your squares block. Press seams to one side.

Then take your 3.5" x 12.5" pieces of solid fabric and piece to the top and bottom of this row.

Yay! You did it, Placemat 1 is pieced!

Placemat 2:

Lay out your 14 x 2.5" squares in a rectangular shape as per the photo below, ensuring you are happy with the fabric placement.

Take the 2 squares on the left and right sides of the central rectangle and piece together. Then piece to each side of the 6.5" x 4.5" solid central rectangle as per the picture below.

Next, piece the top and bottom strips of square together:

Thenk piece them to the top and bottom of the central rectangle. Make sure to match and pin the seams at each end.

As per the process for Placemat 1, sew the 1.5" x 8.5" strips of solid fabric to either side of the rectangle, press seams, and then sew the 1.5" x 12.5" strips to the top and bottom.

Yay! Second placemat complete.

Now, all that remains is to baste, quilt and bind them. I'm not going to cover these processes in detail here, but you can find tutorials on basting and quilting here and one on binding as part of this tutorial. 

The first set of placemats I made, I straight line quilted a quarter inch apart. This made for very dense quilting, but gave a lovely effect.  I did the same for the purple and yellow placemat:

I marked the first line in the centre, using my ruler and a Hera marker (you could use the blunt edge of your scissors, or a butter knife) and then I used the outside of my foot as a guide on the rest of the lines.

I also experimented with "organic" lines on the pink and green placemat; I really like how it looks.

If you are quilting vertical lines on your placemats, be sure to start in the middle, and work your way out to one edge, then return to the middle and work out to the other edge. Also be sure to sew the lines up and down, changing direction each time. Otherwise, constantly sewing in one direction will distort your placemat shape and pull it down or up on one side (trust me, I am the voice of bitter experience!!)

Also ensure to use good quality thread for your quilting as it will show up nicely and is such a feature in dense quilting like this. I use Aurifil 50wt thread for all my quilting. Its 100% cotton, and gives fabulous stitch definition. It appears expensive as it comes in big spools, but it lasts for absolutely ages, so it actually is great value. I always have a white, a neutral and a grey on my sewing table. 

Lastly, you need to add your binding. I machine bound these as I wanted them to stand up to the sort of washing that only a 5 and 7 year old can generate at the dinner table.
 

I still need to make the 2 boys' mats but they finally informed me of their colour choices today so I'll get around to them later in the week. And I'll do one for the baby when she gets a bit older :-) I love the idea of having 4 different colourways on the kitchen table, brightening it up.

Don't the original ones look pretty on my patio table? I'm pretty sure you need some too ;-)

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you make some placemats, I'd love to see them so please post them on Instagram and tag me (@sewfairyface) or add them to my Flickr group Made From FairyFace Designs Tutes

Any questions, post a comment or email me at fairyfacedesigns at gmail dot com Linking up to 733 blog:

{Sew} Get Started!! Launch & Giveaway

I am delighted to launch my {Sew} Get Started: Beginner Sewing Tutorials series! I hope that you enjoy all the projects and learn lots along the way! I posted some background to this series in Tuesday's post so if you want to find out a little bit more, pop over and have a look.

This series of tutorial is aimed at people who want to learn to sew and to make beautiful things with gorgeous, modern fabrics - who are new to sewing or who sewed in school but haven't done anything since. It will also have lots of nice projects for people who have a little (or a lot) sewing experience - I am really looking forward to trying some of the tutorials myself!

There will be quite a few posts this week and next to get us kicked off and then they will generally be posted on a Thursday although some weeks there may be an extra post for particular things.

I have a fantastic, super talented group of ladies who kindly agreed to write a tutorial each for this series - go and check out their blogs for lots of sewing and quilting inspiration! The tutorials list is:

1.  05/01/12  - Project Launch, Giveaway & Master List - Sarah @ FairyFace Designs
2.  07/01/12  - Resources & Supplies - Sarah @ FairyFace Designs
3.  10/01/12  - Sewing Classes - Fiona @ The Sewing Directory
4.  12/01/12  - Sewing Basics Part 1 - Sarah @ FairyFace Designs
5.  14/01/12  - Sewing Basics Part 2 - Sarah @ FairyFace Designs
6.  19/01/12  - Pincushion & Needlebook - Sarah @ FairyFace Designs
7.  26/01/12  - Simple Napkins - Jennifer @ Ellison Lane Quilts
8.  02/02/12  - Baby Burp Cloths - Irina @ El Petit Taller
9.  09/02/12  - Simple Pram Blanket - Sarah @ FairyFace Designs
10. 16/02/12 - Scrappy Cushion/Pillow - Karen @ Lisnaweary Quilts
11. 23/02/12 - Notebook Cover - Cindy @ Fluffy Sheep Quilting
12. 01/03/12  - Tote Bag - Leanne @ She Can Quilt
13. 08/03/12 - Stencils with Freezer paper - Lindsay @ Craft Buds & Lindsay Sews
14. 15/03/12 - Zip Back Cushion/Pillow - Judith @ Rags to Bags
15. 22/03/12 - Simple Girl's Skirt - Ceri @ Inspired by Felix
16. 26/03/12 - Introduction to Quilting - Easy Mug Rug - Sarah @ FairyFace Designs
17. 29/03/12 - Patchwork Potholder - Sheila @ BluePatch Quilter
18. 05/04/12 - Fabric Wallet - Sarah @ Narcoleptic in a Cupboard
19. 12/04/12 - Round (Wonky) Potholders - Felicity @ Felicity Quilts
20. 19/04/12 - Zipped Wristlet/Pouch - Jenna @ SewHappyGeek
21. 26/04/12 - Quilted Table Runner - Susan @ Canadian Abroad
22. 03/05/12 - Garment Making Basics - Sara @ Sew Sweetness
23. 10/05/12 - Mini Quilt - Kirsten @ Gemini Stitches
24. 17/05/12 - Applique & Machine Embroidery - Sarah @ FairyFace Designs

What do you think? Some really great projects in there! I hope you will find lots to interest you. I may add some further tutes as we go along depending on how it progress and who else I might persuade to join in the fun!

I know that many people who read blogs and who may follow these tutorials will not have a blog - so I have set up a group on Flickr where you can upload photos of projects you make from these tutorials. Joining Flickr is free and it's a great resource for sewing and quilting people. The group is here - pop over and join. There is also a discussion forum in the group where questions can be asked or general chat. It would be so much fun to see what you make from these tutes and how people interpret each project with their fabric choices.

To kick-start your sewing fun, I have a little giveaway.  Yes, a giveaway!

One of the big problems I had when I started sewing first was gathering enough of a selection of scrap fabrics to play with. My first few projects were quite limited until I bought a couple of scrap bags from Ebay and then once I started to make things, I generated quite the selection of scraps! So, I have put together 3 little scrap packs to giveaway today from my overflowing scrap baskets. All are roughly the same, content wise and contain a mixture of sizes, colours and shapes of cotton fabrics (mostly quilting weight, some poplins), along with some felt scraps for the needle book project and some varied size scraps of batting too, for when we move onto quilting. There should be enough there to get you started and to help out with some of the projects which might require a selection of fabrics. I am happy to send these anywhere - international entries are welcome!

I am giving away 2 packs from this post - just leave a comment on the post to enter. Any comment will do - tell me why you want to get started sewing or why you love sewing! You do not have to have a blog to comment - if you don't, just click the "anonymous" option in the comment box and anyone can leave one. Please make sure to leave your email address in your comment in the following format: fairyfacedesigns (at) gmail (dot) com. The giveaway will remain open until Monday 9th January at 9pm (Irish time). I will announce the winners next week using Random number generator.  If I can't get in touch with you by email I will have to redraw.

The 3rd pack I will give away from my Facebook page. Head over there for details of how to enter. You can enter on both competitions to maximise your chances but there will only be 1 pack per winner, so if the same person wins in 2 places, I will redraw for one of the prizes.

I do hope that you will join us and have some fun while you learn. Please feel free to leave questions or comments on the posts as we go and I or the guest poster will do our best to answer.

Enjoy!

*** This giveaway is now closed.***

Last minute gift idea: Phone Cozy Tutorial

Are you in need of some last minute quick, easy and fun Christmas gifts? Something you can make from your scrap basket with a minimum of fuss? Something useful, as well as pretty? Here's your answer - my phone/gadget cozy tutorial!

These little cozies are perfect for a phone or a camera - I'm sure there's lots of other uses you could think of for them too! The featured cozy fits an iPhone perfectly, including a protective cover/skin.  So, let's get to it!


Requirements:

Scraps of fabric in solid colour, feature fabric prints and lining fabric. 2 batting scraps (approx 5 x 7" each). Medium size covered or decorative button.

Cutting List:

(The measurements given are for the featured cozy. Measurements for other variations are given at the end.)

From your solid fabric cut the following:

Strip A - 1.5" x 4" - cut 3
Strip B - 2" x 4" - cut 2
Strip C - 1.25" x 3.5" - cut 2
Button loop strip - 6" x 2". (If your cover button is quite big, you might want to add another inch to the length).
 
From your print scraps, cut as follows:
Back:- Cut a variety of pieces for the back strips. They should be 1.5" high and can be a variety of widths from 1" to 2" - I varied mine to add interest. You need enough so that when pieced they make 2 strips that are 4" in length. Equally you could cut 2 single strips from a feature fabric - they should be 1.5" x 4" each.
Front:- Cut 2 pieces that are 2.25" x 1.5" (D) and 2 pieces that are 1.75" x 1.5" (E).

From your lining fabric, cut 2 pieces measuring 6" x 4" and 1 strip for the handle strap measuring 9" x 2".

Making the front and back:

Use a 1/4" seam throughout.

Firstly, take the small pieces you cut for your back strips, and piece together 2 strips using a quarter inch seam. Press the seams open, and trim both back to 1.5" x 4". 

Next, take the print fabric pieces for the front panel. Piece the 2 (E) pieces together along the long edge, and the 2 (D) pieces together along the long edge. Press seams, and then piece them together, with the (E) pieces on top. You should now have the following:

Now you're ready to piece the front and back.

Front:

Take the 2 strips C and piece to the sides of the 4 patch front panel. Press your seams towards the print fabric. Then piece a strip B to the top, and a strip A to the bottom. Press those seams to the print fabric also. This will help the print fabrics to pop off the solid even more, once you have quilted it.

For the back, start at the top and piece together your strips as follows:

Strip A
1st print fabric strip
Strip A
2nd print fabric strip
Strip B

Press your seams carefully to the print fabric on all seams.

Your front and back should now look like this, and are ready to be quilted.

Place on top of your batting strips and quilt in the solid fabric as you wish, then trim each piece to 6" x 4". I quilted in straight lines 1/4" apart like this:

Make Button Loop and Handle Strap:

First, make the handle strap. Take the 9" strip you cut from the lining fabric and fold in the middle lengthwise, wrong sides together. Press the fold. Next, open out the fold, and fold both raw edges inwards on either side, so that they meet in the middle, along the crease you just pressed:

These should now be folded back over each other along the original fold line, and press again. You should then top stitch along both edges, approx 1/8" in to secure.

Next, do exactly the same with the solid fabric strip you cut for the button loop. Once it is done, you need to create the loop. First, curve the strip around as follows:

Then, keeping the edges as close to each other as possible, press the little triangle this forms down:

Lastly, sew a line across, following the top stitch line, to secure the loop:

You're ready now to sew the cozy together!

Assembling the cozy:

Take the back piece, the button loop and one of the lining pieces and prepare to sew across the top edge. First, place the button loop in the centre - it should be 1.5" in from both edges. Make sure the back of the button loop is facing up, as in the picture below:

Then, place your lining piece on top of this so that the right sides are together and pin the button loop in place through all the layers. I have let the loop ends extend past the top edge so you can see in the photo more easily, but you should line them up with the edges when you are making.

Sew along the top edge using a 1/4" seam. When you get over the button loop strips, reverse and sew back and forward over them again to strengthen the seam here, then continue to the end.  Using a small, sharp embroidery scissors, very carefully trim the batting in the seam to reduce the bulk. Be careful not to cut your fabric or your stitches. You can also trim back any little bit of the loop ends that extend over the edge.

Take your front piece and your other lining piece and place right sides together and sew along the top edge. Trim front batting as above.

Now its time to sew these two pieces together to assemble your cozy. You will be matching the linings and the front and back of the cozy right sides together, lining up your raw edges and the seams you have already sewn.

First, place the handle strap and pin in place. I put it on the right side of the front piece, about 3/4" down from the top seam as shown below. The strap will need to be inside the 2 pieces when sewing your seam, so make sure to place it carefully in the middle and not stray out to the edges so as not to get caught in any of the edge seams.

 

 Next, place the front and back pieces right sides together, and the lining pieces right sides together and pin around all the edges. Make sure your top seams are matched carefully.

Again using a 1/4" seam, start sewing along the bottom edge of the lining, about 1" in from the corner. Make sure to backstitch to secure. Sew all the way around the edges of the cozy, including reversing back and forward over the handle strap a few times to strengthen it. Finish up approx 1" in from the opposite corner of the bottom edge of the lining. This should leave you a gap of about 2" along the bottom of the lining for turning the cozy right side out.

As with the top seam, trim the batting in the side and bottom seams back very carefully

 

 Lastly, cut off the corners taking care not to cut your stitches, and then pull the right side of the cozy out through the gap in the lining.

Push your corners out carefully using an old knitting needle or a point turner.  Lastly, you need to sew up the gap in your lining. Fold the seam allowance inside and press together. Then you can either hand stitch the gap closed, or, because it won't be seen, you could also edge stitch it closed as I did:

Push your lining back into the cozy and give it all a little press to neaten it up. The last thing you need to do is add a button for the closure. I think cover buttons really work on this cozy and would highly recommend that you cover one using a coordinating scrap. If you need a tute on doing this, you will find one here. You could also use a pretty decorative button. All you need to do is hand stitch it on in the middle of the front - you want it placed so that the bottom of the button is just sitting along the seam joining the print fabric panel to the top solid piece.

 And now all that's left is to decide who you are going to give it to :-)

And don't forget that little handle - perfect to hang on your bag so you can always find your phone!

I have run up a few of these cozies trying to get the tute just right and get decent photos for you in the last week, in slightly different styles and sizes.

Variations:

The Letters Cozy: 

The Letters Cozy is made using a natural coloured linen/cotton fabric and instead of doing the tiny piecing for the feature fabric panel and strips, I cut them from one piece of fabric each.

Measurements as follows:

Front panel - cut 1 measuring 3.5" x 2.5"
Back strips - cut 2 measuring 4" x 1.5"

All other measurements are the same.

The Rainbow Cozy:

 

The Rainbow Cozy is a slightly smaller size, suitable for a narrower phone.

Measurements as follows:


The width of strips A and B is 3.5" instead of 4".
Strip C measures 1" x 3.5"
The print fabric strips on the back are also 3.5" wide instead of 4"

Lining pieces measure 6" x 3.5" each.

All other measurements the same.

Aren't they pretty? I hope you had fun making this cozy.

If you have any questions on the tute, please let me know in a comment or pop me an email to fairyfacedesigns@gmail.com. I would love to see any you do make - so please upload them in my Flickr group.